Sony kicks off £19m UK ad campaign to promote Xperia range

Manufacturer trebling its 2011 marketing spend to as it pushes its Xperia, S, P and U handsets

Sony Mobile Communications is spending close to £19 million to promote its first range of Xperia smartphones in the UK.

Sony Mobile UK, Ireland and Netherlands managing director Pierre Perron (pictured) told Mobile News the manufacturer is more than trebling its 2011 marketing spend in order to promote its new Xperia range, which includes the S, P and U handsets.

Although Perron refused to reveal the exact figure, sources close to the manufacturer claim the amount is around £19 million – £4 million more than previous reports suggested.

Sony released its debut device under its own brand name, the Xperia S, in the UK on March 9 through all major high street retailers and mobile operators, excluding Vodafone. The Xperia P and U are due to go on sale in the UK in May.

Sony’s ‘Made of Imagination’ campaign kicked off last Saturday and will run across TV, print, digital, billboards and in retail stores over the course of the year.

Sony Mobile will also be backed by its sister company Sony Pictures during the promotion of the upcoming Spiderman and James Bond movies, which are both set for 2012 release.

Perron said: “We acknowledge there is an investment to be made and a job to do on the Xperia brand, and we will shout about it on a regular basis.

“The Xperia brand is only three years old, so relatively fresh, and we want to build on that. This is why we’ll be investing a significant amount of money to make sure consumers recognise the Sony smartphone brand.

“We will also be associated with upcoming blockbuster movies so there will be plenty of opportunities to present ourselves.”